Soothing a Fussy Baby

If you are the parent of an infant, it is pretty much inevitable that you will have to deal with a fussy baby at least from time to time. For many parents, dealing with a fussy baby is a regular occurrence that quickly leads to frustration, loss of energy, and a lack of sleep.

Fortunately, there are some basic techniques that can be used that will at least get you started on the road to calming your fussy baby. However, you should always keep in mind that each baby is unique, so find your own different ways of improvising and improving on some of these suggestions to find the methods that work best for your child.

Rhythmic MotionsMovement relaxes babies because nearly constant movement is what they are used to from the womb. Being perfectly still is unnatural to a baby, so it is important that you provide some different ways to keep your baby moving throughout each day. Doing so will eliminate a lot of your child’s fussiness.

One method that is growing in popularity is to carry your baby in a sling. Researchers have known for some time that infants who are carried more often tend to cry less. Specifically, if you carry your baby for at least three hours per day, instances of crying will be reduced by about 40%.

You might also want to invest in a baby swing, as these are usually the best substitute for actually being held. Before purchasing a swing, make sure that you do enough research so that you can determine whether the swing you want has any recall notices in effect or other issues that might discourage you from buying it.

Dancing with your baby is an excellent way to calm them when they are fussy. The natural movement mimics the experience they had in the womb, so it goes a long way towards helping them to relax. Do not worry if you are not a very good dancer. The most important thing is that you move around with your child in a motion that helps to soothe.

Soothing SoundsBabies also tend to respond positively to sounds that remind them of being in the womb. These sounds will primarily be rhythmic, low-pitched, monotonous, and humming. This does not mean that you will need to purchase some expensive equipment in order to get your baby to stop being fussy. Some inexpensive alternatives include the following:

Recording of ocean waves or waterfalls.

Air conditioner or fan.

A clock that ticks loudly.

Record lullabies in your own voice on CD. This way, your baby will have something soothing to listen to when you are not at home.

Play CD’s of music that your baby seems to respond to in a calm, positive way. Remember that your child’s musical taste may not echo your own, so play some different tunes and watch your baby closely to see which ones seem to have the most calming effect.